Conventionally, when hanging a framed picture, a shelf, a mirror, a towel rack, or a similar object at a desired location along a wall or other surface, it is necessary to employ a variety of measuring devices and other tools, such as a ruler, tape measure, or similar apparatus used to measure lengths and distances, a bubble or laser leveler or similar angular measurement and/or verification device, a marking implement, and appropriate fasteners (e.g., nails, screws, pushpins, hooks, etc.). Such a process, while deceptively simple in appearance, can require multiple measurement steps, and other intermediate steps, such as visibly marking a measurement with an implement, and verifying measurements, each of such steps being subject to user error. The accumulation of error across multiple steps can often result in objects that are hung improperly, or the placement of fasteners in a manner that can cause an object to be impossible to position, requiring the entire process, or portions thereof, to be performed again, when performance of these steps often requires marking and/or forming orifices in walls, and other damaging and irreversible steps.
For example, a user may choose to measure the length of a wall or a portion thereof, when desiring to position a picture or other object centrally or at another desired position thereon. The user would then measure the width of the picture to determine a position, such that the picture is properly located. It is also normally necessary to measure the location at which fasteners and/or fastening regions in the picture are located. Many pictures, shelves, and similar objects include orifices formed in the back surface thereof, proximate to the edge, such that a hook, pushpin, or similar fastener engaged with the wall can be positioned in the orifice, whereby contact between the fastener and the perimeter of the orifice suspends the object at the desired position along the wall. With each measuring step, a user may choose to make a visible marking on the wall, such as through use of a pencil, or through use of a nail, pin, or similar sharp implement to form a small indentation in the wall. It is often necessary to hold a picture or similar object against a wall for verification purposes and/or to make or adjust visible markings. For objects having multiple fastening regions, a level is typically used to attempt to align corresponding holes and fasteners in a wall and to ensure that the object, once hung, will have a generally straight, horizontal orientation.
As such, extremely precise measurements and unreasonable physical precision are required to ensure that fasteners for accommodating an object are placed in a wall at locations that are properly spaced to correspond to the location of fastening regions on a picture or similar object, and that are placed in a manner that ensures the object will be suspended with a generally straight, level orientation. The potential for error increases significantly when it is desired to hang multiple pictures, or similar objects, each object being positioned in horizontal or vertical alignment with each other object, or when it is desired to hang individual objects and/or position adjacent objects at non-standard angles (e.g., not vertical or horizontal).
A need exists for apparatus and methods usable to efficiently and accurately acquire both linear and angular measurements, e.g., relative to fastening regions of an object for enabling fasteners corresponding to the fastening regions to be rapidly and accurately positioned.
A need also exists for apparatus and methods usable to efficiently position multiple objects relative to one another at any desired spacing and/or angle.
A further need exists for apparatus and methods able to be used by a single individual to quickly and efficiently align, position, and/or secure or multiple objects relative to one another, as well to accurately and efficiently secure single object in a desired position and/or orientation.
Embodiments usable within the scope of the present disclosure meet these needs.